e!"

The second day 'twas the same;
But the third a messenger
Came in from the mountains to the queen,
And told this tale to her:
That, riding under the forest boughs,
He came to a tiny, curious house;
Before it a feeble fire burned wan,
And about the fire was a little man;
In and out the brands among,
Dancing upon one leg, he sung:
"_To-day I'll stew, and then I'll bake,
To-morrow I shall the queen's child take;
How fine that none is the secret in,
That my name is Rumpelstiltskin!_"

The queen was overjoyed,
And when, due time next day,
The dwarf returned for the final word,
She made great haste to say:

"Is it Conrade?" "No,"--he shook his head.
"Is it Hans? or Hal?" Still "No," he said.
"_Is it Rumpelstiltskin?_" then she cried.
"A witch has told you," he replied,
And shrieked and stamped his foot so hard
That the very marble floor was jarred;
And his leg broke off above the knee,
And he hopped off, howling terribly.

He vanished then and there,
And never more was seen!
This much was in _his_ dreadful name--
It saved her child to the queen.
And the little lady grew to be
So very sweet, so fair to see,
That none could her loveliness surpass;
And her eyes--they were as gray as glass!

A FISH STORY.

Sir Arthur, the sinner,
Ate twelve fish for dinner,
And you may believe it's just as I say!
For if you but knew it,
'Twas I saw him do it,
And just as it happened, sir, this was the way:
One day this tall fish
Swallowed this small fish
(_He_ had just eaten a smaller one still);
Up came this queer one
And gobbled that 'ere one--
Didn't he show the most magical skill?
Then came this other
And chewed up his brother,
Made but one gulp, and behold he was through!
He was a gold fish
Oh! he was a bold fish--
But before he could wink he was eaten up too!
Up came a flounder,
He was a ten-pounder,
Opened his mouth, swallowed _him_ and was gone;
Before you could blink, sir,
Before he could shrink, sir,
This fish came by and the flounder was gone!
(Alas for my story,
'Tis getting quite gory!
So many swallows a summer might make.)
_This_ one came smiling,
And, sweetly beguiling,
Gobbled the last like a piece of hot cake;
A cod fo